All Enduring
by AdrienStalkry
Summary: Summary: Adopted from OrionArchis (Formally Enduring Sacrifice)...Luke Castellan and Thalia Grace found Percy on the streets as a young child, instead of Annabeth, and Percy trusted Luke too much for it to go away so soon. Slight AU, starts from Titan's Curse and follows from there. Eventual Pertemis.
1. Finding Family

**Hey guys! If you're reading this because you're pissed that I'm starting another story, one that's not even in the HP fandom at that, instead of finishing my other two stories in progress, I'm sorry but I will finish them. I'm actually almost done with chapters for both and they should be up some time this week. I just saw that this story was up for adoption and I couldn't resist the story line. Besides, it's about time I came back to my first fandom. For those of you who have never read my work before, I hope you like it and I hope I do the original author justice.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own any recognizable characters, those belong to the frigging awesome Rick Riordan. I also don't own the idea for this story, it belongs to the lovely OrionArchis.**

 **Chapter One: Finding Family**

 **August 12, 1999**

"Mommy?" A five-year-old Percy's voice wobbles, his sea green eyes swirling with barely restrained tears.

"Hey, baby," Sally Jackson can't help but smile at her beautiful son even though it hurts her already swollen cheek, he was her everything and he would always be worth the pain. She holds the blanket wrapped tightly around her up so that her little boy can slip into her lap. "What are you doing up?"

"Couldn't sleep," the little boy mumbles, burying his face in his mother's neck.

"Nightmares again?" Sally queries, worry coloring her tone, Poseidon had never mentioned how frequent demigod dreams or how young Percy could start getting them and that worried her more than anything.

Percy nods his little head and Sally feels a dampness on her neck as her little boy's tears finally spill over.

Sally pulls his small body even more tightly to her chest and strokes his hair in an attempt to sooth him. A flash in the sky catches her eye and she looks up, a smile tugging at her lips. "Baby, look," she commands softly as she gently nudges his chin up to the sky. "Make a wish, sweetheart."

Percy looks from the sky to his Mom then back to the sky before squeezing his eyes shut and saying, "I wish we could get away from Smelly Gabe."

Sally's own tears stop any words she might have said to reassure her son until she too looks back up at the sky and another star flashes by. "Do you know what those are called, baby?" she asks her little boy, pointing to the stars flashing by in the sky.

"Wishes?" he asks with wide, confused little eyes.

Sally's warm laughter flows over Percy, completely relaxing the young boy. "Yes but they're also called the Perseids."

Percy's little face scrunches up in confusion. "Why?"

"Because the wishes pass that grouping of stars right there, the ones shaped after the Greek hero Perseus." Percy had been watching his mom trace out the shape of a man with her finger in the sky until she said the man's name.

"Like me?" he points to his chest, completely taken in with his mom's words.

"Exactly like you, baby. He was one of the greatest heroes of his time just like you will be. He fought many monsters and was praised by the Gods and humans alike for his abilities. What separated him from the rest, and what you need to remember my sweet boy, is that he fought for more than himself. First he fought for his mother then the woman who became his wife. He fought for love above all else, he was willing to lose everything for the happiness of those he cared about. He lived a happy and humble life because his kindness earned him not only the respect of his peers, but the respect of the Gods." Sally cups her son's cheek, staring at him much more seriously than any five-year-old should ever be stared at. "Promise me, Perseus. Promise me that you will always have courage and be kind."

"I promise, Mommy," he tells her though he doesn't fully realise the weight of his words in those moments.

 **August 12, 2000**

His Mom and Smelly Gabe's yells echo through the small apartment and Percy silently sobs as he pulls his knees to his chest and looks up at the sky from where he was perched on the fire escape. They were arguing about him again. Smelly Gabe wanted to ship him away but his Mom refused like she always did and Smelly Gabe hurt her like he always did when she displeased him. And, like always, it was all Percy's fault his Mom was hurt. If he wasn't here, his Mom would be free to do whatever she pleased.

Percy pulls his face away from his knees to look up at the sky at the same time a star streaks through the sky. Then another. And another. All of them drawing his attention to his favorite constellation, the one that was made for the man he was named after.

"He was willing to lose everything for the happiness of those he cared about," Percy repeats the words his Mom had said to him this time last year.

Percy rises from the fire escape and crawls into his room, quickly shoving some clothes and the story book of Greek heros his Mom read to him from every night. Taking a deep breath, Percy steps back out onto the fire escape. A tear falls down his cheek as he takes a step forward but Percy doesn't look back.

"Be a hero, Percy," he whispers, clutching the straps of his backpack with white knuckles as he climbs down the fire escape.

 **August 18, 2000**

Percy couldn't breath, fear was clenching his lungs in an unforgiving grasp. He hadn't been able to sleep for more than a few minutes since he'd left his mommy, scary creatures had been chasing him nonstop and the only thing he had to fight them off with the the metal lid from the top of a trashcan that he'd picked up in one of the alleys he'd attempted to hide in. And then he trips and a scream rips through his throat as he puts the the metal lid in front of him, trying to shield himself from the latest monster that had been chasing him. Another scream rips through his throat as fangs clamp around his little arm and then the monster is ripped off of him and he makes himself as small as he possibly can, cradling his arm to his chest and pulling his knees to his chest, as he watches a boy with blonde hair and a girl with spiky black hair fight with the creature. And then the creature explodes into gold dust.

The two teens turn toward Percy and he scoots away in fear, holding his injured arm even closer to his chest.

The girl is the first to approach, dropping her golfclub to the ground beside her as she squats down in front of Percy. "Hey, hey. It's ok. We won't hurt you," she whispers softly, slowly moving closer to Percy.

"You're n-not m-monster," his voice quivers as his eyes flicker from the girl to the boy.

"No," it's the boy who speaks this time, squatting down on Percy's other side. "We're demigods. Just like you."

"Demigods? Like the ones in my book?" Percy asks in a curious voice, pulling his book from his bag with his good hand.

The girl's eyes flicker down to the book and a smile quirks her lips. "Yes, just like that. Can I see your arm, little dude?"

Percy nods, putting his book back in his bag and holding his arm out to the girl.

The girl grimaces and bites her lip then turns to the older boy. "Can I see the water? I want to rinse this out to get a better look."

The boy nods, worrying shining in his clear blue eyes as he slips his bag from his shoulder and pulls out a bottle full of water.

The girl pours the water on Percy's arm and both teens' eyes widen as the little boy's arm begins to heal before their eyes.

"Do you know who your dad is, little dude?" The girl asks as she closes the water bottle and hands it back to the boy.

Percy shakes his head, confusion clouding his sea green eyes.

"I think your dad is Poseidon, bud."

"God of the sea?" Excitement colors Percy's voice and he practically vibrates with excitement as he grins at the two teens.

Thalia returns his grin and nods her head.

"That is so cool!" Percy exclaims.

"It definitely is, buddy," the boy says, smiling at the little boy. "But can you tell us what you were doing out here alone? Or where your mom is?"

Percy's smile disappears and he fidgets with his backpack. "I ran away."

The boy and girl exchange a glance that Percy does see before the girl asks, "Can I ask why you ran away, little one?"

Percy's serious, much more serious than any child's eyes should ever be, gaze bores into the girl's surprised electric blue eyes as he responds, "So Smelly Gabe wouldn't hurt Mommy anymore. So that Mommy could be happy because Mommy deserves to be happy and she can't be with me there."

The girl's entire gaze softens as she stares at Percy for a long minute. "Would you like to come with us then? We could protect you."

"And we can teach you how to protect yourself," the boy says, placing a slightly glowing dagger into Percy's small hand before wrapping his larger hand around Percy's smaller one.

Percy looks down at their hands then back up at the two teens in front of him. "We could be a family?" he asks.

The girl and boy make eye contact again before nodding. "We could be a family," they say in unison, smiling at the little boy.

"I'm Percy," the little boy says, grinning at the two teens.

"Thalia."

"Luke."

 **June 15, 2002**

"Take Percy and go, Luke! I'll hold them off as long as I can!" Thalia yells as the three of them fight off a seemingly neverending army of monsters.

"We're not leaving you behind, Thalia!" Luke yells back, slicing through a hellhound with the sword the sea had given them on one of the nights they'd camped out on Montauk.

"We'll do this together. Like we always do." Percy joins the conversation. His voice and eyes a deadly calm. "Cover me," he tells them as he steps behind their two man line and begins gathering the falling rain and creating a blanket over top of the army of monsters just like they had done hundreds of times before. "Ready, Thals!" Percy yells once he completes his water blanket.

Thalia calls down a lightning bolt, instantly vaporizing the army, but one of the monsters sees the move coming and takes a last ditch swing at the trio, stabbing Thalia in the stomach.

"THALIA!" Percy and Luke scream as their best friend collapses to the ground, blood rushing from her stomach.

The two boys fall to their knees beside her, trying to stop the bleeding.

"It's...not...going to work," Thalia wheezes, trying to give her boys a smile but it turns into more of a grimace.

"Please," Luke whispers over and over like it's some sort of prayer with tears streaming down his face.

"You promised," Percy sobs.

"I'm...sorry...Love you…" Thalia forces the words out.

Before either of the boys can respond, thunder rumbles and lightning strikes down on the trio leaving a sapling in place of the girl both boys considered family.

 **June 21, 2005 (Lightning Thief)**

Luke and Percy sit on the edge of the creek next to Thalia's Tree, the one Percy's dad had put into place after claiming Percy as a son of Poseidon the night Thalia died. This is their spot, the place they go when they need time alone as a family or when they need to talk about something important. Like when Percy is sent on a quest without Luke because the gods felt Percy might run away if Luke were to go on the quest with him so he has to fill in his brother when he gets back safely.

Percy tells Luke about nearly dying in St. Louis and finally getting Annabeth to let go of her Poseidon/Athena grudge. Of dueling Ares and the look on Annabeth's face when the spider robots came at them in the theme park. Of going to the Underworld and using the pearls to escape. Of meeting his half-brother for the first time and finding out he had betrayed their father. And then he got to the hard part, the question that had been tearing him apart since he had figured it out…

"So why'd you do it?" Percy asks, staring at his brother in everything but blood with a cold gaze that had never once been directed at the older boy but that chilled the older boy to the bone.

"What?" Luke stares at Percy with widened, bewildered, eyes.

"I'm not stupid, Luke. Why did you steal the fucking bolt?"

Luke looks away from Percy and to Thalia's Tree, letting out a long sigh. "Because they've never done anything to help us, Perce. They left us all to fend for ourselves. Thalia with her drunk mom. Me with my crazy, cursed mom. You with your abusive step dad. Then they left us to fend for ourselves without weapons for months before your dad decided to help us. They let Thalia die for Hades' sake when camp was just over the hill, they couldn't have given us five seconds of help. That's all we would have needed for Thalia to be alive right now."

"They helped us as much as the ancient laws allowed, Luke! You know that and you still betrayed us all. You betrayed me, Luke. We're supposed to be family and you put my life at risk with this stunt."

"I never meant to-"

"Like hell you did! I'm the only child of the Big Three left, Luke! Of course I'd be the first one they expect!"

"Please, Percy."

"Just go, Luke. You've obviously chosen your side."

"Percy…"

"I said go, Luke."

Luke stares at Percy for a long moment before glancing at Thalia's Tree one more time and walking away from the one person in the world that he still cared about.

 **August 1, 2006 (Sea of Monsters)**

"Perce?" Tears fill Percy's eyes as the familiar voice washes over him and, for once, they're happy tears instead of tears of sorrow or betrayal.

"Thals." He's at her side in two strides, pulling her into the tightest hug he possibly can and burying his face in her neck as the tears start flowing down his cheeks. "I'm so glad you're here," he whispers as her fingers run through his hair in the comforting way they always had, the way that reminds him of his mom.

"What's going on, little dude? Why are you so much older? Why is everyone staring at us?" Percy feels her head move around, searching the crowd. "And where the hell is Luke?"

Percy freezes and it all clicks in his head. It stills pisses him off that Luke would risk poisoning Thalia's Tree but the fact that she's now here in Percy's arms tells him why. It tells him that that crazy bastard had figured out how to bring back their sister. That Luke still put his family first. That there is still a chance for his brother.


	2. Broken Is Better Than DeadRight?

**So this chapter is a hell of a lot longer than they will normally (if ever again) be but those of you who have read this story before will recognize it because none of it is my work, it all belongs to OrionArchis. It's the entirety of the original story in one chapter. I don't know when I'll be able to post next so I hope this tides you over until then.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own any recognizable characters, those belong to the frigging awesome Rick Riordan. I also don't own the idea for this story or any of this chapter specifically, it all belongs to the lovely OrionArchis.**

 **Chapter Two: Broken Is Better Than Dead… Right?**

They reached a cliff overlooking what Percy knew was the sea, churning hundreds of feet below. Dr Thorn pushed the three demigods toward the edge. "Face me!" the manticore demanded, and they gradually turned. He pulled out a 'phone, and spoke quietly into it. Percy glanced behind him, and contemplated jumping. Dr Thorn laughed, "By all means, Son of Poseidon. Jump. There is the sea – save yourself!" The trio muttered among themselves, and Bianca wondered aloud what the monster had meant. "I'll explain later," Percy promised.

Dr Thorn finished his conversation and spoke. "Unfortunately, you are wanted alive, if possible. Otherwise, you would already be dead-" he turned and glared at Percy, "just like you will be before you can jump." Percy looked down, losing hope. A helicopter's blades were faintly audible in the silence, and Dr. Thorn grinned. "Here is our ride, little brats." Percy's eyes lit up again, as a thought struck him.

"You work for Luke, right?" The manticore's look of distaste and curt nod filled the runaway Son of Poseidon with both hope and fear.

Annabeth rushed in, invisible, and her mind whirled with what Grover had said about Percy and the empathy link. She barged into Percy, shoving them all roughly to the ground and accidentally knocking her cap to the ground. Dr Thorn let out a brief exclamation as his first volley of spikes whistled over their heads, and he spun around at the sound of Thalia's shield cranking out into the spectacle that was Aegis. She charged at him, as Dr Thorn's hand became an immense orange paw with gleaming black claws, which he swiped at her shield. Thalia stumbled backwards at the sheer force, as Grover appeared and began to frantically play his reed pipes, causing vines to sprout from the ground, binding the monster's legs.

Dr Thorn let out a furious roar, and melted away into his true form, revealing a six-foot tall lion with a human head, and a long tail reminiscent of a scorpion's. He shot several spikes at the rising Thalia, and she fell back down. Annabeth let out a gasp, as the vines were clawed to pieces and the manticore's head turned towards her. Percy clambered to his feet, despite the pain from the poisoned spike embedded in his shoulder, dived in front of her and tapped his wristwatch/shield, deflecting the deadly spikes. Dr Thorn advanced onto them, taking advantage of their situation, but a single silver arrow sprouted from his back. He roared in anger, whirling around to glare into the woods.

"You cannot interfere! It is against the Ancient Laws!" Thalia looked sick both from the poison and from the realisation of who arrived.

Percy squinted and gazed into the woods, as around fifteen girls of varying ages, all in the same attire of silver ski parkas and jeans. One of the older ones, with a circlet braided into her hair, stepped forward and asked, "Permission to kill, my lady?" Percy then realised who they were, and noted which one replied, "Not so, filthy monster – the Hunt kills wild beasts, and that is exactly the category you fall into. Permission granted," a twelve-year-old with auburn hair and ancient eyes spoke.

"If I cannot have them alive, I will have them dead!" Dr Thorn lunged at Thalia and Annabeth (who had crawled over to Thalia as the Hunt approached). Percy leaped onto his back, and hung on for dear life, as the manticore turned in circles, trying to throw him off.

"Fire!" the girl with the circlet commanded. Annabeth was shocked, and yelled, "NO!". Still the arrows flew, and the monster screamed in pain, before hurling himself with Percy on his back off the edge of the cliff.

The auburn-haired girl, Artemis, watched them fall, and knew they hadn't died. She was intrigued by the actions of the male – Perseus Jackson had sacrificed himself for his friends. She knew they would meet again.

As Artemis watched him fall, she reflected on how he had acted – honourably, for a male. She contemplated this for a moment, and stood there awhile as her mind drifted onto other topics. When they vanished into darkness, she knew that neither had died, and so discarded the blonde girl – Annabeth's – distraught wailing, and motioned for a few huntresses to talk some sense into her. She once again took to thinking, but gazed into the moon instead.

Once Annabeth had been dealt with, Zoë tentatively tapped the goddess' shoulder.

"Milady, I apologise for interrupting, but-" she started, but Artemis anticipated her worry.

"Thalia, correct? Was Helen unable to assist at all?"

"Unfortunately, she hasn't dealt with manticore poison before." Zoë quickly replied. Artemis sighed, and reluctantly gave in to the inevitable.

"It would have been necessary to call my brother anyway, this just means he arrives earlier than expected," she grumbled.

Artemis took a few steps forward, as if returning to reality, and immediately got to work. In a few swift strides she was at the door of the recently-reassembled main tent, and another few later she was seated on a silver rug, followed roughly thirty seconds later by Zoë leading Bianca inside. The goddess nodded at a Huntress standing in the doorway who promptly exited the tent and returned a while later with Annabeth and Thalia – the latter pale from poison and only walking while supported.

Annabeth was amazed by the number of animal pelts, and was drawn towards the central fire, seemingly burning without fuel. Thalia groaned, and Annabeth refocused her attempts to help her to Artemis, who nodded her head,

"A brave maiden, I am obliged to help. Alas, our healers are not as proficient as they would like to admit," (Helen, a daughter of Apollo with hazel hair, found the floor fascinating at this mention), "so I will call my brother. Atalanta, if you will?"

A bulky, black haired girl stepped forward, took Thalia from Annabeth and carried her out of the tent, presumably towards the medical tent, and they sat in a comfortable silence until a gargantuan golden gleam blistered in the campsite, and a faint row could be heard, until a yelp resounded through the cold air, and Atalanta stormed in, her cheeks flushed with anger.

Artemis sighed, apparently used to this, and spoke directly to Annabeth.

"What did the manticore talk about?" Annabeth shrugged, and gestured towards Bianca, who looked slightly panicked at the pressure, and squeaked out something resembling,

"Great Stirring and wanted us alive!" This revelation gave Artemis a troubled look, but it faded quickly as another thought came over her.

"Listen, Bianca... from what you know of the godly world, and your parentage, and life so far... I would like to extend an offer to join the immortal Hunt." Bianca's jaw dropped, and it was easy to tell she was extremely tempted. Annabeth, on the other hand, looked furious.

"I, uh... c-can I think ab-about it?" Bianca stuttered, and Artemis smiled gently.

"Of course, you can have until-"she was cut off by her twin barging into the tent and reciting a haiku – or attempting to, over the groans of annoyance. Apollo complained playfully,

"Honestly, I'm just trying to greet my baby sis and this is how I'm treated?"

"For the last time, we're twins! AND DO NOT CALL ME SIS!"

As the two argued in their typical fashion, Bianca lightly prodded Zoë in the shoulder to attract her attention. The eldest huntress turned, and her look softened as she saw how nervous the demigoddess was.

"I-is it worth it, joining the hunt?" she inquired quietly.

"Yes. It is a life without responsibility, with a family who will never leave." The reply was short, precise, and exactly what Bianca needed to decide.

Bianca apprehensively cleared her throat, attempting to draw Artemis' attention from her brother, without much success. After a second attempt, Apollo realized what was happening, and smirked at his oblivious twin.

"-nothing but a fiery ball of gas!" Artemis finished, only realizing that the tent was completely silent after she finished ranting, a slight golden blush appeared on her face, only to the great amusement of all spectators, as shown by the subsequent echoing laughter.

After they had calmed down again, Bianca walked over to Artemis, far too well aware all eyes were upon her, and exclaimed,

"I choose to join the Hunt!" Applause rang through the tent. Artemis grinned, nodded and let the applause die down before congratulating her.

"Well done, sister. Now, repeat after me: 'I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis. I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt.' Bianca did so, and Artemis confirmed, "I accept your pledge. Welcome to the Hunt!"

Annabeth couldn't help but feel jealous at the evident joy and relief on the new Huntress' face, but she didn't have much time to contemplate this feeling before Artemis remembered a separate task at hand.

"Now, girls, I reluctantly am forced to leave you at Camp Half-Blood, with the campers. I know," she raised a hand to hush her hunters' mutterings, "But I doubt that Dionysus will bear a grudge on you after a simple, ah, misunderstanding. Apollo, you are to take them to Camp, and you must NOT flirt with any hunter, am I understood?" She continued without waiting for a reply, "I must find this monster, and bring it to Olympus before the solstice." She swept past all, and melted into the woods. Annabeth could have sworn she saw the goddess take the form of a fourteen-year-old, before vanishing completely from sight.

As Artemis zipped off to hunt the threat to Olympus, attention returned to her brother, who had a solemn look on his face. Once he realised the focus was on him, his expression shifted into a jolly mask, with the hint of mischief that made the more experienced huntresses recoil slightly. The god addressed Zoë, "So, sweetheart – you heard her, you're going to Camp! Go get the others, and I'll pull up in a couple minutes. Remember not to look until I park, 'kay?" Apollo winked at her, and the lieutenant looked close to pulling out her bow against him until he flashed out with a grin.

Zoë stalked out of the tent, visibly shaking, leaving the tent in a tense silence. Annabeth chose this time to check on her friend Thalia, and the remaining huntresses gradually relaxed, wishing to inquire more information from Bianca about the attack. A hunting horn sounded – likely Zoë's work, and there was somewhat audible whisper-shouting emanating from the medical tent that drew undesired attention from the huntresses.

"If you hadn't been so stupid, he would still be here! Don't go pinning it on him when he saved our lives! Now GET OUT!" At this point a weeping Annabeth emerged, looking shocked in multiple ways, and the eavesdroppers scattered to avoid being found. Despite this somewhat obvious action, the dismayed and upset 'Wise Girl' was distracted to the point where she was oblivious to them.

Suddenly, the sky lightened, causing a burst of warmth to melt the snow and brighten the camp. Several girls panicked briefly, before taking action to ensure no-one looked at the approaching sun car. Nico was tackled to the floor by his sister only seconds before the flaming Maserati Spyder parked, effectively saving the demigod's life. Apollo climbed out of the vehicle, muttered to himself, "I knew there was something I forgot," and snapped his fingers. The Spyder shifted into a shuttle bus, and he ordered everybody to get in. The girls began to load the camp onto the bus, which they achieved with such simplicity that the now walking Thalia began to doubt that there was no magic involved in the process.

After Apollo's failed attempts at subtle flirting and 'helping', the huntresses crammed themselves into the back – Bianca included – leaving her brother and the three remaining campers sitting in an awkward spread near the front. "Who wants to drive?" Apollo grinned, jangling the car keys. Nico and Grover raised their hands, but the Olympian's gaze settled on Thalia. "Daughter of Zeus! Lord of the sky. Perfect."

"Oh, n-no," if it were possible to pale further, she did. "I'm still, uh, sick..."

"Aww, c'mon! You're almost sixteen! That makes you old enough now to drive with a learner's permit!" Thalia shook her head vigorously, and Apollo was about to argue further until Annabeth spoke up,

"Sir, you treated her yourself, you know how bad her situation was – I doubt further trauma would help in any way." Apollo sighed, and Thalia shot a grateful look at the blonde-haired girl.

"I guess I have to drive AGAIN..."

Apollo sat down at the wheel, and hit a series of buttons in a complex order, causing a low rumble and more worried looks from the huntresses. He beckoned Nico over, and as they took off he began to lecture on exactly how 'speed equals heat' and 'this chariot is built on human dreams about the sun', everyone gradually relaxed into a constant rhythm.

Eventually, they approached Long Island which the sun god pointed to. "There! Dead ahead." Nico almost looked relieved, but this was replaced with a terrified gasp from several others as they saw the speed at which they were approaching. Apollo chuckled, and intentionally pitched forward into the canoe lake, scattering several naiads unlucky to be nearby at the time. Thalia looked shaken to her core, while most others seemed barely better as they let go of screams they hadn't been aware they'd been holding. "I wonder if we boiled anyone important...?" Apollo snapped his fingers, and the bus rose to the surface and spat out the huntresses and campers onto the shore, intercepting a rushing Chiron in his wheelchair, accompanied by several cabin leaders who looked groggy and irritated.

"Lord Apollo, may I ask what happened?" the centaur inquired of the still-grinning god.

"Thalia here-" he gestured with his hand, "had her first driving lesson." Thalia still looked terrified, and so his statement was at least somewhat believable. Chiron opted to take Nico to the Big House while Zoë took charge of the girls, who were reluctantly followed to Cabin Eight by Grover. Apollo refused the offer of a drink with Mr. D, at which point several shoulders relaxed and happy sighs were let out. "Take care, sweethearts! Watch out for those prophecies!" He winked at Thalia and Annabeth, and a Maserati Spyder launched itself into the dawn sky.

Annabeth managed to compose herself enough to whisper into Thalia's ear,

"I'm already not missing him," at which both girls cracked up, receiving questioning looks from the campers present. Chiron sent those who were not present on the mission off to breakfast, and wheeled off towards the Big House with Nico having to run to keep up. Thalia opted to visit her cabin before the inevitable meeting, and stumbled when treading into the snow, melted in a previously perfect circle around the crash-landing area. Annabeth headed to the cabins as well, but was so occupied in her thoughts that she ended up outside Cabin Three, which she realised had been a habit of hers whenever she was worried. Tears rose to her stormy eyes, and she sprinted to the Athena Cabin, disappearing inside.

After breakfast, as predicted, Chiron called for a meeting at which all cabin leaders were called. It was brief, and quieter without the intrusions of the missing hero. The conclusion was that despite a lack of campers, the traditional Capture the Flag game would occur, which brought a sadistic grin to the face of Silena Beauregard. Thalia decided to assist in preparations for this event, while most of the remaining campers went through their typical scheduled activities for the day.

Thalia caught Pheobe – recognizable from her previous encounter – attempting to pick a fight with an Ares camper while holding a basketball, and reluctantly prevented serious injuries on either side. She then proceeded to check in on every cabin individually, and despite (mostly) good intentions she found herself in the Poseidon Cabin. She heard water gurgling from a water fountain near to the back of the building, and she knew that it hadn't been there in the summer – a gift from his father, and he wasn't here to see it! Thalia teared up, and tried to complete her rounds as quickly as possible.

Dinner came quickly, but both Thalia and Annabeth were absent much to the confusion and worry of Chiron, who correctly concluded they were simply upset about their lost friend. The sons of Hermes known as the Stoll brothers were attempting to convince Nico di Angelo that poker was a better game than Mythomagic, and Grover was trying to recover from the beating he had received from hanging around the hunters. When night fell, all but the cold Zoë Nightshade was in their cabin, but no-one dared challenge the lieutenant.

Annabeth somehow fell asleep after much tossing and turning, but not to a positive effect. She dreamt of Percy, on a dark hillside, shrouded in a murky fog, with a surprisingly heavy atmosphere – she assumed this meant he was in a cave, but why he was there she could not figure out. Apparently he had the same thoughts, as he cried out,

"Thorn! Where are you? Why did you bring me here?!" He scrambled over a section of broken wall and arrived at the crest of the hill. He saw his former friend, she saw a traitor.

"Luke? What happened?" The son of Hermes was encircled by clouds which seemed to crush him slowly, and he cried out for help.

"They left me here! I-if you don't help me... I'll die!" Perseus was torn, and it looked like he knew what Luke would say if he asked the question all observers knew he was thinking. Finally, he rushed in and took the burden from who he had viewed as a brother. Luke collapsed to the floor, and rolled away. The hero pleaded for help just as the grimy follower of Kronos had before, but to no avail.

"Don't worry, your help is on the way. If she'll respect a man who sacrificed everything for nothing!" Luke forced out a chuckle, but he looked pained and worried. Annabeth jolted upright, and leaped out of bed towards the first cabin where she hoped her friend remained.

"We should go to the Big House PRONTO if what you're saying is true," Thalia advised, and to a certain extent she knew Annabeth would agree with her decision. They woke up Chiron, who asked almost precisely the questions that the daughter of Zeus opted to which Annabeth noted in the back of her whirling mind. Chiron grumbled,

"Visit the Oracle, I advise. Her guidance is always there in times of need. Now let me sleep."

The centaur exited back into his room, where within seconds a heavy snoring was audible. Despite the gravity of the situation, both girls had to stifle a laugh. Once the moment was over, however, Thalia patted Annabeth on the shoulder, who shivered in anticipation of what horror could await her up in the attic. She ascended the staircase, one at a time, and time seemed to slow down.

Nothing could have prepared her for what awaited her in the Oracle's lair.

A young girl – one she recognised as Artemis, which greatly surprised her – was fettered to rocks with celestial bronze chains. Annabeth briefly panicked, but realised it was a vision. A serpentine voice resonated inside her head six lines of verse she wasn't going to forget in a while.

"Five shall go west to the goddess in chains,

The hero to suffer it all in vain,

Campers and Hunters, two never return,

Betrayal and sacrifice, the traitor will burn.

One shall fall by a parent's hand,

The Titan's curse be passed around."

Volcanic black eyes shot open, and a silver sheet flew off a creaky bed as a leader rose from her resting place. Two doors in the Artemis Cabin flew open within a split second, and she arrived at the largest building in camp not long after that, despite having to shove Grover out of her way. The girl stumbled into the hall, crashing into a waiting and decidedly shocked Thalia who took the opportunity to 'accidentally on purpose' shove her in retaliation.

"I need to see the Oracle! Let me past, you boil-brained lout!" Zoë Nightshade screamed at the punk girl who was barring her way, who was attempting to explain the situation to her unsuccessfully. After a brief conflict resulting in a broken nose for the camper, the shocked Annabeth descended into a scene of fury and violence in the main hall. A loud squeal was heard as Wisdom's daughter was torn between going back up and throwing herself into a fight of which she didn't know which side she would take.

At last the lieutenant looked up at the staircase, and understood instantly that she had made a mistake. However, her pride refused to outwardly accept this, so she barged right through Thalia and spoke to Annabeth.

"What did she say?"

"Why did you attack my friend?" The blonde countered.

"...She was in my way. Now – WHAT DID SHE SAY?!"

At this, there was an awkward silence, abruptly ended by the clip-clopping of hooves on a wooden floor as Chiron left his room, with curlers in his tail, for the second time that night.

"Please be wary of others sleeping, girls. Given your – ah – regrettable actions," he directed his gaze at Zoë, and then at Thalia's broken nose, "I must inquire why in Hades' name you are awake at this time AND fighting?" This was followed by a short silence, broken by Zoë;

"I had a dream... my mistress..." she inadvertently choked up. Annabeth knew this was true from the Oracle's vision, so she wondered briefly exactly who – or what – this Zoë Nightshade was. She examined her features again, and she resembled not one of the mythical characters she had researched – although Thalia or Percy probably knew something from the time they had met before…

She was startled out of her thoughts by a slightly worried Thalia, to whom she nodded and let out a small smile to reassure her. Chiron seemed satisfied, so he strode out of the room for the second time that night – but this time down the hall. The trainer beckoned for Thalia to follow and the two remaining girls were left alone, as the door slid shut. They regarded each other for a short while. Annabeth's hand unconsciously slipped to her knife, which she had picked up from Percy as her first demigod weapon, when he came on her rescue mission. Zoë noticed this subtle action, and copied the blonde's movements with her own bow which the other girl noticed also.

Each female's gaze hardened and they locked eyes for a long time, conveying hostility to each other.

Eventually, as if in unison, Annabeth unlatched her weapon and dropped it to the ground. Zoë quickly did the same, and shot off a quick comment;

"What did she say?" The Oracle's speech was recounted, word for word, and the lieutenant's eyes softened visibly. Her stance shifted to almost neutral, and a miniscule nod was visible to a focused Annabeth. She had thought about it herself, and was worried about the potential of death by the mentioned 'father's hand' – now she speculated that if Zoë had a vision of Artemis, then she could be part of the five, and killed by her father – which almost gave her a lead into who she was! It even fit with her reaction to the prophecy.

Zoë cocked her head to one side, already irritated with this girl's repeated and long thinking-spans. She tapped her foot impatiently, cutting Annabeth's train of thought off and slightly embarrassing her. At Zoë's request, they shared information – or, as much of it as they would give, which was awkwardly diminutive – and speculated on its meaning as much as their pride would allow. By the time Thalia re-entered they had concluded between them the party they would ideally take on the quest.

"Uhh... why are your weapons on the floor?" An awkward silence followed as neither would answer, and both gradually grew slightly red – more noticeably against Zoë's Persian looks as she stooped down to pick up her bow, and slung it over her shoulder comfortably. Annabeth also picked up her dagger, walked over to Thalia and whispered in her ear. The punk girl struggled to hold back laughter at the interaction between the two, which marked the moment in all three's memories, probably for different reasons.

Further deliberations about the quest party were brief, and by the end Thalia had sent Zoë off to fetch Bianca, and Annabeth to find her 'protector' Grover. The crack of golden dawn shone light upon a necklace with a scythe charm, whose owner quickly hid it to evade the discovery of her betrayal.

* * *

Artemis was humiliated. She had blatantly refused help, hunting the monster by herself, and now she was here – imprisoned on Mount Othrys.

That was her problem, like many immortals – hubris, overconfidence in herself. Ironically, it was a lot of the reason she hated 'males' in general. She suspected it came from her father, or even just being around her brother for millennia – despite her attempts.

The most free of all the Olympians, captured... The irony was not lost on the lost goddess. And then, of course, her mind drifted to Perseus Jackson. A boy who reminded her of Orion – an instinctive comparison that made her shiver, remembering what was and could have been...

As her mind delved into this train of thought, she noticed a familiar immortal presence approach. It wounded her pride to admit even to herself that she had been beaten by Atlas, who was now returning... Footsteps physically sounded around her, implying a mortal was with him.

"Is it time, General?" a male's voice sounded – young, mid-teens she guessed.

"But of course, Luke. It's her time to decide – at least let her see what she has gotten herself into!" Shortly afterwards, she felt her head being pulled up from the ground, and the chains keeping her there shattered – although her celestial bronze manacles held fast. She took in her surroundings in the brief period she had between being not-quite-freed and being tugged along.

She was shocked – perhaps too shocked – to find Perseus trapped under the sky. Instinctively, she tugged at her manacles, but this earned her nothing but a chuckle at her feeble attempts. If he had been trapped under there, then she had inadvertently followed him into this trap. And that meant…

"You'll never get me under there, Atlas. You assume much about me if you think I'm about to assist a dirty man." Luke had to hide a worried look in front of the immortals, as he was hoping for Percy to join him and Kronos. Atlas just smirked at her, and commented on what he viewed as naïveté. As they drew closer to the hero, he was alerted to their presence by noise, and he struggled to think clearly…

* * *

Perseus was humiliated. He had walked into an obvious trap to save his traitor 'friend', and now he was here – imprisoned under the sky, on Mount Othrys.

That was his problem, like many sons of Poseidon – loyalty to those close to him. He felt like an idiot, but in his mind the issue wasn't jumping on the manticore's back – it was believing Luke. He just couldn't help himself, and he had known the consequences before, or maybe that was just hindsight…

Son of Poseidon, Great Prophecy possibility, all names people attributed to the boy under the sky. Even being under the sky was a huge achievement, but Percy didn't think it was anything special – he even felt ashamed of doing it, and leading who knows who into a trap. Even his friends he had tried to save might be lured in by him as bait…

He heard voices, and the clanging of metal on metal as he forced his eyes open to witness the scene before him. A strangely familiar girl was thrust down on a rock barely five meters away, directly in front of him. She was bound in celestial bronze manacles glowing with resistance, but they held fast to her struggles. Auburn hair was tattered on her head, and once he was granted a glance into her silver eyes. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew who this was, but her appearance was sufficiently different to that of when they had met previously so as to prevent his distracted mind from recognizing her as who she really was.

Artemis took a look at him from this close up, and saw pain all over his body – yet he was withstanding the weight of Ouranos' longing with true spirit. She couldn't believe it! Or at least, she refused to believe it... she refused to take the sky from Perseus Jackson.

She thought to herself about her motivations, and to anyone but her it was clear her hubris was the cause – if she helped a man, her pride would be ruined... She deliberately avoided Perseus' shocked glare of betrayal, followed quickly by a cold fury that Artemis could perceive from even being near to him.

Luke's half-grin faded, and he once again tried to hide his fear for his friend.

Atlas smirked at Artemis, knowing the real reason she had declined. However, the thought of her pride being too great for all of Western Civilization struck a previously unknown fear into the Titan's heart.

Artemis was being guilt-tripped as hard as she had ever been, and while trapped in her situation, as well…

Perseus' hopes were crushed by the sky and the fourteen-year-old goddess in front of him. He was holding the sky for his friends, and had to stay strong – because the gods wouldn't do it for him.

* * *

Annabeth was lost in thoughts, driven by one thought and a gods-know-how-old huntress. She had really let her emotions get the best of her, but after two nights in a row post-prophecy filled with 'demigod dreams' about Percy, she had a right to. Ever since the day he came with Grover out to New York, where she had been living on the streets for nearly a month, she had admired him for his bravery, although openly admitting this was something... something she viewed as impossible.

Nevertheless, she was still here, in the back of one of the Camp Half-Blood strawberry vans, with two of her best friends, and a huntress she hoped was a friend.

Not forgetting, of course, the little Italian demigoddess that she had decided to hate with a passion. She didn't understand why, but whenever she saw Bianca she was reminded of Percy, and how he was... she told herself he would be fine.

She noticed Thalia absently humming to herself, and fingering her Camp Half-Blood necklace gingerly. The daughter of Athena decided to just sit and watch her for a while, while Bianca and Zoe conversed about the Hunters – more specifically, about the benefits. Grover just sat there and occasionally interjected with his own points, trying to gain Zoë's favour - only to receive a glare from the eldest in the van.

The blonde gazed at her friend's subconscious movements, and thought. Her mind carried her away on a river of ideas, architectural and emotional, of all kinds and natures…

The next thing she knew, they were approaching D.C., and the wheels skidded in a crazy attempt at stopping. Annabeth sat up abruptly, also rousing Thalia from her doze, who looked panicked – understandably, as Zoë had stopped as if they were in danger…

They clambered out of the strawberry van, none faster than the driver, to see…

"...a wolf. Is that-" Zoë cut a sceptical Annabeth off in her tracks with a simple hand gesture, and knelt down in front of the injured beast. She tentatively touched the canine's crimson-coated snout, and it instinctively snapped its attention toward the huntress.

Annabeth lightly poked Zoë to gain her attention, but received nothing but a light shake of the head and a slight humming sound which she couldn't identify the source of. Even Grover seemed confused, and Bianca appeared bewildered, but as if she knew exactly what this was but couldn't recall its meaning or relevance.

Thalia was slowly coming back to reality, and gingerly touched her necklace again. Watching Zoë carefully, she plodded back towards the van and leant against the side, shivered, and waited for the commotion to end and their journey to continue.

Annabeth and Grover were still trying to find the source of the humming, and were caught off guard by the Lieutenant of the Hunters opening her mouth at last and a strange singing emanating, as a silvery glow shone from the wolf. It appeared that Zoë and the wolf were conversing mentally, and the blood on the wolf's side shaped itself into a moon that waned as time passed. Zoë, at one point, tugged Bianca and allowed her to touch the snout of the animal.

As the sacred symbol on the beast lost size, so did Annabeth's understanding of the occurrences here grow. She gradually pieced together the puzzle and it seemed so incredibly obvious to her. All of the virgin goddess' symbols in a single place – a huntress, a wolf, and a moon... Artemis was communing with them from her prison; only one thing could be possible. Perseus Jackson was still under the sky.

The goddess in question, of course, had still not taken the hero's place under Ouranos' throne, as he crumbled slowly. Instead, she had focused what power she could to make contact to make sure that there was a way out of this situation she had put herself into.

Naturally, she had neglected Percy – no, Perseus – due to her pride, and she had finally accepted that within herself. Unfortunately for the man-hating goddess, this was not a fact that she could entirely ignore or act upon at all, leaving her to speculate exactly what turmoil the boy was going through…

Ignoring her own faults and fears, she used what she knew to her advantage – that her symbols of power were all she had now, and luckily for her she wasn't a fool like Zeus or Poseidon who carried around their symbols in a single object. She had many, and although they weren't as powerful as the aforementioned gods they would be enough for what she had in mind.

As she gathered together her plan of action, she took a blind shot in the dark, assuming that at least one huntress would be tailing her despite strict instructions on the contrary, and that they would follow their own leads to where her captor, Atlas, was. She recognized his scent even while acting within her sphere of power (the area that her existence as a goddess affected), and as a result she lead a single hunting wolf away from the Wild towards Washington D.C.

It required all of Artemis' willpower to not call off the entire mission, as she knew that it was both endangering one of her sacred animals but in doing so strangely reminded her of the situation with her and Percy – no, Perseus – in which she sacrificed someone else for what she convinced herself was the greater good…

She took a brief moment to collect herself, and involuntarily took a glance at the boy. What she saw almost broke her resolve... He was straining, with the last iota of his power, holding up the colossal force of the sky. She pulled her eyes away from this desperate sight, towards Luke who had been waiting there ever since he had been freed from the sky – sometimes with monsters, sometimes alone – and noticed that he seemed almost... Almost scared. As if Percy's – no, Perseus's – suffering was his as well.

Suddenly, she winced as a shock passed through the wolf's fragile body, and it was knocked over onto the ground. Artemis could feel the beast's frail life passing, and poured in hers to ensure her message was taken…

She smiled weakly at the feeling of not one but two huntresses nearby, Zoë as one of them as well! She focused her power now into forming a symbol on its side to attract their attention, and as her lieutenant struggled to comprehend exactly what had to be done her power waned like the moon-shape on the beast's side.

And so her message was sent, she gained information - but the issue still remained.

Perseus Jackson was still entombed under the hero's burden.

* * *

Zoë was heartbroken. She had just lost contact with her mistress, who had already delivered awful news to her... She wasn't sure if she could hold back the tears that had been waiting since the beginning of the conversation, but she had to if she was to set an example to Bianca.

A quite relieving moment was when she realised that, in fact, Bianca was already crying. A shock that erupted in long-forgotten emotions and, for a moment, a little of the girl she had been before Hercules returned, in front of her subordinate, two campers and a satyr. Part of her was screaming at her to pick herself together, but she was driven by emotions for the first time in what seemed like an eternity.

Annabeth, meanwhile, was gazing at a sight she didn't know was unnatural, and figured that something negative had come of the communication with Artemis due to the oh-so subtle hints, such as two huntresses breaking down into tears. And, to top it all off, all she had learned so far was that this goddess that they had learned bad news from had not helped her friend in any way.

She didn't know when she had become so negative, but it suited her. Always a perfectionist, she recognized when bad situations arose and if this wasn't a bad situation, what would be?

Thalia had observed every single muscle that moved in the lead huntress. Rapt attention had to be paid if her friend would survive, and she wished to waste no time getting to San Francisco.

Regardless, when Zoë exploded in tears, it was clearly bad news; but what caught her eye was the way that she almost seemed to hold it back before a weeping Bianca was brought to her attention. This was nothing like the confident woman she had met all those years ago with Luke and Percy tagging along. She wished for those days back, for when she had been turned into a tree she had immense amounts of time to speculate…

Sometimes, Luke would come up to her and visit her – now an emotionless hunk of wood – and just talk. She liked it that way, but not as much as before. That isn't to say that she approved of everything he was doing, and to an extent she knew every time before he did something bad because of his manner. She accepted that, and recognized that he was her only communication with the outside world, aside from when newer (typically Hermes or Aphrodite) campers struggled their way through the borders gossiping with each other about whichever new technology was 'in', but she never understood much about it anyway.

She had not hated being a tree, as much as she didn't want to admit it. It may not have been the best period of her life, but at least she had company; Percy used to come up to her sometimes to ask for 'big sister advice', a term she had thought was cute. And-

"Thalia?" Annabeth inquired. "You've been doing it again." As she returned to reality she realised that she had, indeed, been in a trance. It had occurred less and less recently, since she obviously wasn't still a tree, but it still happened often enough to be a genuine issue.

"Sorry, Annie. Just... thinking." Annabeth nodded, probably understanding the exact train of thought she had taken, minus some of the more private parts. Thalia wiped her eyes groggily, which was somewhat bizarre given that she had been standing up for the entire time, yet still she felt as if she had just been woken up by the near-crash.

Grover knew almost precisely what had happened; being apt in reading emotions from body language and facial expressions was a huge help, alongside getting glimpses into the wolf's dying mind during the contact from Artemis... He was shocked, devastated, and genuinely impressed. He hadn't gotten a full view of the situation, but what he had heard was regarding Percy somehow taking the sky from the traitor Luke, and Artemis being captured by the titan that should take that very burden.

And, of course, the fact that Artemis hadn't taken the sky yet. A minor detail, he presumed; she wouldn't be able to contact the outside world whilst underneath the sky. Despite this, he feared that knowing Percy's rash nature that he might have already convinced himself that she had left him to rot under there.

A thought pestered him for a brief moment, before he let it come into focus: what if Artemis had another motive for leaving him there? She hadn't explicitly said it while he was 'in the call', and he somehow doubted Zoë would disclose the conversation to him after her previous treatment to him. But Bianca might let something slip, so he figured he should keep quiet until he could know.

He shook his head incredulously at his thoughts; what was he thinking? This was Artemis for gods' sake! She surely would only think of Olympus' safety, and then those of brave heroes. She knew nature far better than him, and he was nature!

Artemis was, in fact, finally recognizing the fact that Percy - no, Perseus – had held up the sky now for an impressive time. Unfortunately, she was speculating rather about how he might be able to hold it for even longer over the more logical solution of how he must already be almost dead. His streak of lifeless grey had spread like a bloodstain through his ever-straining scalp. He didn't even have the strength to keep his eyes open anymore; even if the virgin goddess took his burden he would probably still die.

The message; that was it! The call for help sent by Artemis had been ended abruptly by the wolf's death. She had surmised that the likely cause of death was being hit by the strawberry van, as she could always tell when Zoë was panicky, even when on the verge of tears for the first time in what seemed like forever. Nevertheless, she couldn't be angry with the huntress, and didn't have the time to waste explaining to her that the wolf's death didn't truly affect anything, aside from the time frame they had to speak in.

Perseus Jackson was, although an enigma to Artemis, thinking just about one coherent thing at this point, which was the only thought keeping him going. He remembered the times he had with Luke, and Thalia, and going on quests with Grover and later Annabeth... He remembered friendship. Surely an unknown thing to the gods that put him in this situation, he was virtually ready to betray them – although he would certainly not use that language, after being treated like dirt.

He was not fighting for the gods; he was fighting for his friends.

Despite this, Artemis still hoped that the hero would realise that the only way out of this mess was to trust her to help him, for as the ashen plague spread across his head his timer slowly ran out.

He had to trust her, else he would die, and she would go with him under the might of Ouranos' immense desire.

* * *

Annabeth sat in the van, reflecting. There wasn't much further depth that she could go into, to be brutally honest; she had acknowledged the situation, and acted on basically nothing. She had tried to comfort Zoë, but the lead huntress had refused to hug and Grover had given her a scared look, at which point she withdrew and left the two Hunters to calm down by their own work.

It felt weird to admit, but she was jealous of Bianca. Annabeth got a self-sacrificing friend, while Bianca got a family that she could even relate to even within half a week of meeting them. Seemingly peculiar to admit that during a heavily emotional moment, but ironically that emphasized her point; if she felt the same way as an incredibly experienced huntress, this family must be unreplicably close. Although, it would explain why such a hardened character as the lieutenant's could be broken as such…

The blonde-haired demigod felt a slight nudge on her shoulder, but refused to respond. When she registered another, she glanced at the source with a degree of irritation to find Grover. In a light whisper, he cautiously began,

"Uhm, I wanted to ask if I could, like..."

"Spit it out, Grover! You know you could ask me anything," Annabeth's response came with a far less timid tone and unintentional disregard for his clear wishes for privacy.

"Well, y'know, I was wondering if you would let me borrow your- your cap." Two clear questions rang through Annabeth's mind: Why would he want it, and why would he need it to be secret? She noted his constant glances out of the tinted glass of the van, and decided to stall for time to identify exactly whom he was worried about.

"What for? I'll happily give it to you..." Grover did exactly as she had both hoped and predicted, taking a glance in Thalia's direction – she would contemplate that later – and responded.

"I, uh, want to try and see if I can, like, scout about. If we can find more clues, that's not a bad thing right?" Annabeth briefly considered this, and felt confident enough in her intelligence to find a way to ensure his activities could be monitored to blindly accept.

"Yeah, sure. Just... never mind." She handed over her precious cap, and held her hand out for Grover's signature Rasta cap, which after a few awkward moments of Grover's ignorance and fumbling, she received. She immediately didn't like it…

And now, Thalia had come in, so she couldn't exactly take it from him again.

They sat in an awkward silence, and less than five minutes later a puffy-eyed Zoë (which Annabeth chuckled at, only to receive a surprisingly soft and surprised look rather than the sharp glare she had pre-emptively flinched at, resulting in a good-hearted, soft smile on the huntress's behalf) lead Bianca back into the van, and they set off without further word.

Once Annabeth got over her brief embarrassment, she set her mind to its work, and quickly encountered an extensive list of mistakes she had made regarding Grover and her cap... First off, no-one could exactly follow him while invisible.

The list went on.

Yeah, she had screwed up; but she was also slightly confused as to why she was questioning herself about this, given that without Grover she wouldn't even be alive, let alone contemplating her trust for him. She'd trusted him before, and she would trust him again. But the question remained of why his trust was lacking, especially in Thalia...?

Truth be told, Zoë wasn't in the best of shapes. Further reflection on events, trying to be logical, they all just lead to the crumbling of her iron mask she wore to block this. She knew this goddess – she couldn't even name her any more – on terms that she would allow no other to use. And now for one she had trusted to stay when no other would...

It upset her to think that she had known it would happen. When her lady had vanished from sight so dramatically, she instinctively knew. A shift in form, while barely noticeable, was still clear to one who was observant enough. Especially to the goddess' closest friend.

What this meant was still uncertain to her, but she intended to find out. Zoë was by no means a fool, and recognized that the truth could simply be a brief respite from Artemis's man-hating persona, for any reason from guilt to respect for the boy; yet she also worried, quite understandably, about anything else. Any extension of even respect could lead to devastation, as she and many other huntresses knew only far too well, and after only one encounter she severely doubted that anyone was ready to judge correctly for their mistress.

And thus, Zoë's inner turmoil raged. She felt purely overwhelmed by the sheer amount of… of…

Bianca had burst into tears herself, even barely knowing Artemis at all.

Artemis was in a situation she didn't know how to get out of.

Zoë herself was cornered by thoughts of Heracles and his betrayal, and on top of everything else she couldn't handle herself any more.

A flood of emotions took over once more as a torrent of bitter tears cascaded from her volcanic-black eyes.

It was in this state that, after a brief period of 'calming herself down' (trying to control herself, failing, and trying to control herself again), she and Bianca finally rejoined the cluster that had assembled in the van. She failed to notice the somewhat tense atmosphere, and willing to get on with the mission, she gestured for the newest huntress to return to her previous seat, and clambered in herself.

Zoë did not, however, fail to notice a slight snigger emanating from where the three campers were seated. Typically, laughing at Zoë would not end well; however, which 'typical' day would see the lieutenant weeping? As such, her jumbled mind only thought to show surprise, and then amusement at the pretty- no, blonde girl's flinch.

Zoë drove off without a word to anybody.

No-one saw her slight grin.

* * *

Perseus Jackson, under the sky. He would never have thought it, only… seven years ago? This thought shocked him slightly, but not more than the immensely crushing weight above him.

In such a position, he knew he was almost definitely dead. Dead, and at no-one's fault besides his own for presuming the Olympians would help him in any way. He supposed that given that he wasn't the prophecy child, he didn't really matter; at least, matter enough to warrant a man-hating goddess to help him.

As he knelt there, resting in his final acceptance, he heard something, which was surprising given that he was in immense pain and on top of a mountain. He couldn't make out the words, but a crack and a minute jangling left him confused.

Unbeknown to him, this was Artemis's part in his freedom. The crack, Luke's fury; the jangling, the goddess's pain; the words:

"What the hell do you think you're doing, calling me over?" the traitor's anguish clear.

"I have… decided, to take the burden," Artemis spat the words which made Luke's heart race with renewed hope.

"Yes… master said it would be this way. Swear you will take the sky, and I will let you."

"I- I swear to your terms," the torn goddess choked out the words, and with a mutant weapon in his hand the celestial bronze that kept her secure was shattered.

Luke couldn't believe anything that was going on. He had convinced himself of Percy's wellbeing with Kronos's promises, only to be denied by Artemis's pride. Grief followed, and then, of course, now… It was astonishing to think the time frame that this had happened in. The sun wasn't up, it hadn't been for the whole duration, and he had no doubts that time went differently in mythical areas; but it felt like his heart had been torn apart and stitched back together in under thirty minutes.

Regardless, the blonde demigod watched in awe as the virgin goddess swallowed her pride and hatred for males. She paused briefly…

Thinking about how much of a fool she had been the entire time. She could condemn each and every action she had performed in this court of her grandfather's, from being captured in the first place to this very moment, but she needn't think of regrets. This long under the sky should easily have killed the demigod, and he deserved at least life… even if she couldn't grant it.

She highly anticipated the hero to be only holding on through Ouranos's goodwill, yet as she attempted to free his spirit to be anchored next to his brother in the sky, she found herself repelled. She pushed harder, and was granted access to his suspiciously stable mind. Given she had been expecting a dead hero, this wasn't that much of an upgrade – but she could still save him!

'Perseus Jackson,' she called into the void of his mind, with no reply but stirrings of barely intelligible thoughts, and hazy images of his friends from Camp Half-Blood.

She didn't have time for this! Him being alive mattered more to her at this very moment than whether he was conscious for a few days. She pushed further and further in, and now that she was not fully trapped, she could exert some force over a mere mortal; she forced his body both physically and mentally out of the way of the sky and quickly took the burden herself, like her vow said. But not before mischief and a taste for revenge clouded her senses, and in this push she 'accidentally' tried to knock the demigod who had kept her captive off the mountain. Oops.

Luke was absolutely furious now, she had stood there for at least a minute and then almost shoved him over the cliff-face! He clambered to his feet, ready to-

His jaw positively plummeted when he saw the scene in front of him. A freed Percy, and Artemis under the sky like she had promised! But Percy's body…

Once Artemis had settled, she directed her gaze upon the son of Poseidon's body.

Broken couldn't have described it better.

But broken was better than dead… right?


End file.
